Update January 2000: Morocco
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Update January 2000: Morocco |
1. The APEBI (Association for Professionals of Information Technologies) has launched an awareness campaign for the public concerning computer tools and the Internet using an "ITC caravan". The campaign will take place from the 22nd of November through the 22nd of December 1999, ending in Casablanca on the 23rd of December – the opening day of the PC Forum at the OFEC.
2. A new technologies forum, organized by the Agadir Chamber of Commerce, was held from the 25th to the 28th of November. The theme was "apprehending the role of information technology in regional development". The principal speakers the forum were :
3. An exhibition composed of 17 participants (Orbit, Impact Sud…) was held in conjunction with this forum in order to help regional operators to understand how to use information technologies.
4. The Agadir Chamber of Commerce launched its web site at the end of October with an objective of "offering a virtual window of the region on a national and international scale." In addition, practical information concerning the Chamber’s activities, investment methods and regional economic potentialities are now available on the web.
5. The consumer credit company Eqdom and the provider Abnet recently presented an offer which would provide Internet access with advantageous conditions to the general public. Eqdom proposes a preferential rate of 355 dirhams per month. This would include the cost of computer material and the Internet connection. The goal is to help popularize the Internet while equipping homes with computer material.
6. France Telecom Interactive, a subsidiary of the French operator France Telecom, will soon launch its Wannadoo Morocco portal site in cooperation with two Moroccan companies: Maroc connect and Netcom.
7. An American multinational is setting up a subsidiary to develop the Moroccan Internet. Orientation.com is specialized in the creation of regional portal sites. A link dedicated to Morocco in French will be integrated into the site www.orientation.com (20 countries covered, 1 million visitors each day). However, local providers believe that a portal site on Morocco created by a foreign company is a threat in that it generates a political/cultural risk.
8. Morocco will have its information technologies park in Casablanca by the end of the second semester 2000.
The objective is to create a functional space designed to welcome operators from the IT sector and to create a miniature Moroccan "Silicon Valley". This project is in partnership with the SEPTI, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the APEBI and the Competitive Morocco Association. It has been inspired by similar projects such as the Quebec Technology Park and the Sophia Antipolis Zone. The cost of the project is estimated at 210 million dirhams (21 million dollars) and will be partially financed by development assistance organizations such as the World Bank.
9. An international meeting was organized based on an initiative by the International Center of Cooperation for the Year 2000 and the SEPTI. It was held from the 1st to the 3rd of November at Rabat and dealt with emergency plans for services in North Africa and the Middle East. The goal of this seminar was to establish a regional cooperation network in order to prepare to passage into the year 2000 in critical sectors such as petrochemistry and civil aviation.
10. The SEPTI launched a second invitation to bid for the creation of a technical assistance center for the passage into the year 2000 and the company Cap’info submitted its study on emergency plans for Y2K.
11. IBM Morocco has launched its solution for human resource management. This product allows different functions to be handled together (development, position management, recruitment) at an international level. This solution is, therefore, dedicated to multinationals that want to develop a proactive form of management for their human resources.
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